Department Head & Associate Professor, Accounting & Finance Department

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number FAC - VA - 26131 For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Gary L. Caton, PhD

Professor of Finance

gary.caton@montana.edu

Classification Title Working Title Department Head & Associate Professor, Accounting & Finance Department Brief Position Overview

The Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure track faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance, with an accompanying administrative appointment as Department Head. This position is intended for a faculty member with the academic record, leadership capacity, and collegial judgment to help guide a newly formed department during an important period of organizational development and growth.

Faculty Tenure Track Yes Faculty Rank Associate Professor Position Number 4A0631 Department Jabs College of Business Instruct Division College of Business Appointment Type Faculty Contract Term Academic Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary $160,000 annually $20,000 annual stipend Contract Type MUS If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

The Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting & Finance, with an accompanying administrative appointment as Department Head. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished faculty leader to help shape the future of a newly formed department during a significant period of organizational transition and growth.

The Department Head serves as the chief academic and administrative leader of the Accounting and Finance Department. The Head provides leadership for department strategy, faculty support and evaluation, curriculum and scheduling, student success, and departmental operations, while advancing the mission of the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship and Montana State University. In this role, the successful candidate will help shape the identity, culture, and direction of a new department created as part of Jabs’ transition to a three-department structure.

This position combines academic leadership with an active faculty role. The successful candidate will contribute to high-quality teaching in accounting or finance at the undergraduate and graduate levels, maintain a meaningful scholarly agenda, and engage in service and outreach consistent with the expectations of an AACSB-accredited college. Jabs has long maintained AACSB accreditation, and its assessment structure emphasizes faculty-driven curriculum management and continuous improvement.

Montana State University values all perspectives and is committed to continually supporting, promoting and building a whole community, which includes people of many backgrounds. We hope to attract applicants who can teach in a University community and have demonstrated ability in helping students from all backgrounds to succeed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Role

The successful candidate will serve both as a faculty member in Accounting or Finance and as Department Head of the Accounting & Finance Department. In this role, the successful candidate will:

• Provide academic and administrative leadership for the Department of Accounting & Finance, including helping to establish and advance the department’s vision, priorities, culture, and strategic direction.
• Serve as the primary leader and administrator for the department and as the principal liaison between department faculty and college leadership.
• Lead and support department faculty and staff, including faculty mentoring, evaluation, professional development, workload planning, and participation in personnel processes consistent with university and college policies.
• Coordinate department operations, including course scheduling, teaching assignments, curriculum planning, and instructional staffing to meet student and program needs.
• Support and advance undergraduate and graduate programs housed in or supported by the department, including contributions to the B.S. in Business, Master of Professional Accountancy, and M.S. in Innovation and Management programs.
• Lead or support assessment, assurance of learning, accreditation, and continuous improvement processes in collaboration with faculty and college leadership.
• Contribute to departmental planning and resource stewardship, including budget input and other operational responsibilities associated with managing an academic department.
• Represent the department with internal and external stakeholders, including students, alumni, employers, and professional communities.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in accounting or finance.
• Advise and mentor students.
• Maintain an active program of scholarly research resulting in publications in quality peer-reviewed journals.
• Engage in college, university, professional, and community service.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean or Dean’s designee.
  
  

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Earned Ph. D or D.B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance or a closely related field by start date.
• Demonstrated record of effective teaching in accounting or finance at the university level, with the ability to teach undergraduate courses and contribute to graduate instruction.
• Demonstrated record of teaching, scholarship, and service appropriate for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Associate Professor in an AACSB-accredited business college.
• Demonstrated leadership or administrative experience in higher education, such as service as a coordinator, program director, department chair/head, center director, or another comparable academic leadership role.
• Demonstrated understanding of academic administration, including some combination of curriculum oversight, faculty support, scheduling, assessment/accreditation, budgeting, and strategic planning.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Experience leading or coordinating an academic unit, program, option, or department.
• Experience teaching upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in accounting or finance.
• Record of impactful peer-reviewed publications in accounting, finance, or a closely related field.
• Experience with AACSB accreditation, assurance of learning, curricular assessment, or related continuous improvement processes.
• Relevant professional experience and/or professional certifications, as appropriate to the discipline, such as CPA, CFA, CFP, or related credentials.
• Experience building partnerships with external stakeholders, including alumni, employers, professional communities, or industry partners.
  
  

The Successful Candidate Will

• Be committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.
• Demonstrate the communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills necessary to lead a department effectively.
• Lead with collegiality, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach to academic administration.
• Support faculty development, curricular quality, and student success.
• Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively and maintain productive working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and administrators in a collegial academic environment.
• Contribute positively to the growth, visibility, and reputation of the Accounting & Finance Department and the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship.
• Be dedicated to supporting Montana State University’s commitment to a university community that includes people with many backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
  
  

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

Required Application Documents

• Curriculum Vitae
• Teaching Statement (max 2 pages)
• Research Statement (max 2 pages)
• A copy of the graduate-level academic transcript (unofficial transcripts acceptable at the time of application; official transcripts required upon hire).
• Cover Letter addressing each of the Required and Preferred Qualifications
  
  

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

The Program The Department

The Department of Accounting & Finance is one of three academic departments in the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship and plays an important role in undergraduate and graduate business education. The department supports the Accounting and Finance options within the Bachelor of Science in Business and contributes to the Master of Professional Accountancy and Master of Science in Innovation & Management programs. The department currently includes approximately 20 tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty and serves 925 students enrolled in its academic programs.

The College

The Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship offers a B.S. in Business with options in Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing, an M.S. in Innovation and Management, and a Master of Professional Accountancy degree. The College has 31 tenure-track faculty that are augmented by an experienced group of professionally qualified instructors. Faculty members enjoy a highly collegial environment and are committed to excellence in business education. The combination of a positive professional work environment and outstanding recreational opportunities offers a uniquely satisfying lifestyle.

Posting Detail Information

Number Of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Upon Completion Of a Successful Search. Position End Date (if Temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications Will Be

Screening of applications will begin on April 29, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for NEW sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

FLSA Details

FLSA Determination

FLSA Status Exempt

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae
• Teaching Statement
• Research Statement
• Transcript
• Cover Letter addressing each of the Required and Preferred Qualifications
  
  

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).